Software Decision Toolbox

Practical decision tools for founders and teams building software.
AI can generate code. These tools help you decide when code generation stops being the hard part.

Define the MVP

Prevent runaway scope and clarify what “done” means.

MVP Boundary Scoping Tool Strategic Invariant Analyzer Moat Reality Check (Pre-MVP) Decision Surface Risk Analyzer

See how this fits into the bigger process: 2026 MVP Blueprint

When hiring did not help

Model why adding developers can slow delivery.

Team Scaling Fallacy Calculator (Brook’s Law) Cheap Dev False Economy Calculator Vibe Code Loss Calculator

Cost and timeline reality

Sanity check budgets and delivery windows.

Custom Software Cost Reality Check Scope Freeze vs Scope Drift Estimator When Estimates Stop Working Timeline Compression Fallacy Tool Pilot vs Product Timeline Divider

Backend cost reality

Understand how backend platform costs evolve as usage grows. These tools surface where teams get surprised and when tradeoffs shift.

Kotlin + Firebase Cost Calculator SwiftUI + Firebase Cost Calculator Supabase Cost Reality Calculator Heroku Cost Reality Calculator AWS Backend Cost Reality Check

Architecture decisions

Choose structures that match team size, maturity, and operational reality. These tools explain when common architectural choices help and when they slow you down.

Monolith vs Microservices for Early Teams Firebase vs Supabase vs Heroku vs AWS Relational vs Document vs Hybrid Database Decision Tool Document Database Stress Test

Failure modes and diagnostics

Diagnose why execution slowed even though the team looks busy. These tools identify structural failure modes that are often misdiagnosed as people problems.

Slack Dev Theater Detector Vibe Code Loss Calculator Cheap Dev False Economy Calculator Over-Abstracted Architecture Detector